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Item Open Access Changes in land capability for agriculture under climate change in Wales(Elsevier, 2025-07-25) Hannam, Jacqueline A.; Keay, Caroline A.; Mukherjee, Kriti; Rugg, Ian; Williams, Arwel; Cooke, JamesLand capability assessments are key models that can identify current and future capacity of land for agricultural production. However, assessments of land capability under climate change do not fully consider climate-soil-crop interactions, are produced at scales too coarse for decision making and exclude key end users. We tackle these gaps by co-developing a predictive fine-scale spatial assessment of Agricultural Land Classification in Wales for baseline climate (1961-1990) and future climate scenarios. The findings revealed an increase in the proportion of land with better agricultural potential in 2020 (2010-2039) and 2050 (2040-2069) compared to the baseline, becoming more favourable for agriculture due to decreased soil wetness. However, by 2080 (2070-2099), there was a reduction in the proportion of higher grade and best and most versatile land for agriculture. During this period, an increase in accumulated temperature and decrease in rainfall during the growing season resulted in higher soil moisture deficits and increased risk of summer drought. We identified soil droughtiness as the most limiting factor for agricultural capability in 2080, resulting in a decrease in the best and most versatile land for agriculture (by 2 to 11% compared to the baseline). The transparency of the approach and prediction of land capabilities at local scale enabled effective policy implementation and decision making. The predicted future changes in land capability highlight that policy instruments used currently to protect high grade agricultural land should also consider the potential impacts of climate change.Item Open Access Organic management in coffee: a systematic review of the environmental, economic and social benefits and trade-offs for farmers(Taylor and Francis, 2025-05-29) Jones, Katharine; Njeru, Ezekiel Mugendi; Garnett, Kenisha; Girkin, Nicholas T.Global coffee production is expanding, contributing to environmental degradation, notably through extensive use of inorganic fertilizers. Volatile prices, climate change, rising input costs, and pressure to decrease carbon footprints represent key challenges for farmers. Regenerative soil management and the use of organic management as an alternative to conventional mineral fertilizers offer one potential solution to address these challenges. However, information is limited regarding the potential options available for farmers, and their potential environmental, economic, and social impacts. We undertook a systematic review of the literature to assess the benefits and trade-offs from adopting different organic management approaches following PRISMA guidelines. We identified 43 peer-reviewed articles, predominantly focusing on agroforestry, plant-derived additions, soil management or animal manure to improve livelihoods and environment. Research priorities differ by region and there is a skew toward researching the environmental impacts of regenerative techniques. Our synthesis demonstrates multiple potential environmental benefits to organic management, but increasing economic risks and trade-offs for farmers, particularly in transitioning to organic management. We also highlight the social barriers facing farmers, from education to access to knowledge networks to support implementation. These challenges must be addressed to support any future sustainable transitions to organic management in coffee.Item Open Access Insights into Alternaria in apple fruit causing mouldy core, external infection and mycotoxin production under retail and storage conditions(Elsevier, 2025-08-02) Pavicich, María Agustina; Maldonado, María Luisa; Nguyen, Truong Nhat; De Boevre, Marthe; De Saeger, Sarah; Patriarca, AndreaApple fruit is widely consumed worldwide, but fungal contamination in the postharvest stage presents a significant food safety concern. This study evaluates the production and accumulation of Alternaria mycotoxins, including alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl-ether (AME), and the modified forms (AOH-3-S, AME-3-S, AOH-3-G, AME-3-G), altenuene (ALT), tenuazonic acid (TeA), tentoxin (TEN), altertoxin I and II (ATX[sbnd]I, ATX-II), in Red Delicious apples under simulated retail and post-harvest conditions. Three Alternaria tenuissima strains (isolates 02, 31 and 36) were inoculated in apple fruit at two sites separately (core and exterior) and incubated at two temperatures (25 °C and 4 °C) for 1 and 9 months. Mycotoxin production was quantified using LC-MS/MS, revealing significant variability across strains and conditions. Isolates 02 and 36 exhibited significant temperature and site-dependent variability in mycotoxin production. Higher levels of AOH, AME, ALT, and ATX-I were produced at 25 °C and in the core. Long-term cold storage delayed fungal growth but did not prevent mycotoxin accumulation, raising concerns about the safety of processed apple products. These findings highlight the need for stricter monitoring of mycotoxins during post-harvest storage to mitigate health risks. The findings provide insights into their toxigenic capacity in vivo and highlight potential risks for food safety.Item Open Access Anaerobic microbial core for municipal wastewater treatment — the sustainable platform for resource recovery(Elsevier, 2025-08-01) Conall Holohan, B.; Trego, Anna; Keating, Ciara; Bressani-Ribeiro, Thiago; Chernicharo, Carlos L.; Daigger, Glen; Galdi, Stephen M.; Knörle, Ulrich; Paissoni, Eleonora; Robles, Angel; Rogalla, Frank; Shin, Chungheon; Soares, Ana; Smith, Adam L.; Szczuka, Aleksandra; Hughes, Dermot; O’Flaherty, VincentThe requirement for carbon neutrality and bioresource recovery has shifted our views on water treatment from health and pollution avoidance to one of sustainability with water and nutrient circularity. Despite progress, the current process of wastewater treatment is linear, based on core aerobic microbiology, which is unlikely to be carbon neutral due to its large use of energy and production of waste sludge. Here, we outline a shift from aerobic to anaerobic microbiology at the core of wastewater treatment and resource recovery, illustrating the state-of-the-art technologies available for this paradigm shift. Anaerobic metabolism primarily offers the benefit of minimal energy input (up to 50% reduction) and minimal biomass production, resulting in up to 95% less waste sludge compared with aerobic treatment, which is increasingly attractive, given dialogue surrounding emerging contaminants in biosolids. Recent innovative research solutions have made ambient (mainstream) anaerobic treatment a ready substitute for the aerobic processes for municipal wastewater in temperate regions. Moreover, utilising anaerobic treatment as the core carbon removal step allows for more biological downstream resource recovery with several opportunities to couple the process with (anaerobic) nitrogen and phosphorus recovery, namely, potential mainstream anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and methane oxidation (N-DAMO). Furthermore, these technologies can be mixed and matched with membranes and ion-exchange systems, high-value biochemical production, and/or water reuse installations. As such, we propose the reconfiguration of the wastewater treatment plant of the futurewith anaerobic microbiology. Mainstream anaerobic treatment at the core of a truly sustainable platform for modern municipal wastewater treatment, facilitating circular economy and net-zero carbon goals.Item Open Access Appropriate technologies or appropriating technologies? Technopolitics within artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana(Elsevier, 2025-07-01) Ofori, Alesia Dedaa; Awolorinke, Augustine Chiga; Amankwaah, Gad AmoakoThis article contributes to the discourse on the significance of “appropriate” technologies in formalising artisanal and small-scale gold miners' activities. By raising the question of what or who defines what is “appropriate” for artisanal miners, the paper engages critically with the ignored and complicated spatial and temporal dynamics that underpin miners’ decisions regarding technologies and the impact of these choices on the political ecology of artisanal gold mining. Until recently, technologies used by small and artisanal miners have been known to be crude and rudimentary, with deleterious impacts on the natural environment. Hence, the policy drive to formalise illegal miners has emphasised the essence of appropriate technologies, depoliticizing the complex underpinning factors that shape technology adoption and rejection. Thus, the paper focuses on two technologies that have become prevalent in the artisanal mining scene in Ghana, i.e. the Chinese Changfa and the Trommel, to demonstrate the complex and myriad ways miners determine which technology is appropriate. Appropriate technologies, the paper argues, are determined based on a multifaceted combination of socio-political, economic, ecological, biophysical and cultural factors. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these observations on the formalisation of artisanal miners amid the increasing demand for energy transition minerals in developing economies.Item Open Access Solidago canadensis modifies microbial community and soil physicochemical properties through litter leachates and root exudates(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2025-04) Bo, Yanwen; Liao, Yali; Pawlett, Mark; Akbar, Rasheed; Girkin, Nickolas T.; Sun, Jianfan; Ali, Amjad; Ahmad, Naushad; Liu, Wei; Wang, Xiaoyan; Du, DaolinInvasive plant inputs alter soil microbial communities via chemical compounds in litter, root exudates, and leachate, impacting a range of soil processes, but precise effects are poorly understood. We examined Solidago canadensis, a common invasive species in China, and its litter effects on soil microbial communities under natural conditions. Experimental treatments included S. canadensis seedling density (1 and 2 plants/pot) and quantity of litter (10 and 20 g/pot), with control groups that contained no plants or litter. After 120 days, soil samples were analyzed for physico-chemical properties, GC-MS chemical composition, and bacterial community composition using high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that S. canadensis seedlings and litter inputs increased soil pH, organic matter (SOM), and nitrogen (TN), while phosphorus and potassium remained unchanged. We identified 66 chemical compounds, predominantly ketones, alcohol, aldehyde, hydrocarbon, ester, acid, terpenoids, and alkaloids, associated with the presence of the invasive species, alongside shifts in dominant bacterial genera including Sphingomonas, Acidobacteriales, and Gemmatimonas. Rarer genera under the invasive treatment species, such as Candidatus, Rhodoplanes and Novosphingobium, correlated positively with soil TN, pH, and SOM. Collectively, our results demonstrate how the increased presence of allelochemicals from S. canadensis litter significantly impact soil properties and bacterial communities, and may therefore have implications for ecosystem dynamics.Item Open Access Comment on ‘Estimating methane emissions from manure: a suitable case for treatment?’(IOP Publishing, 2025-06-01) Anthony, Steven G.; Cardenas, Laura C.; Gilhespy, Sarah L.; Sandars, Daniel L.; Chadwick, David R.Ward et al (2024 Environ. Res. 1 025003) recently published a paper in this journal (Ward et al 2024 Environ. Res. 1 025003) asserting that methane emissions from manure management in the United Kingdom Inventory of Greenhouse Gas emissions could be under-estimated by a factor of four to five. This was based on extrapolation of measurements from two farms located in the south-west of England where manure management is purposely set-up to encourage methane release and capture, for use as a fuel source. We argue that methane thus extracted cannot be compared with the quantities emitted to the atmosphere on a typical farm which is what the national Inventory seeks to estimate, and show that existing Inventory calculations are consistent with wider literature and typical management practices in the United Kingdom.Item Open Access Prolonged heat stress in Brassica napus during flowering negatively impacts yield and alters glucosinolate and sugars metabolism(Frontiers, 2025-01-01) Kourani, Mariam; Anastasiadi, Maria; Hammond, John P.; Mohareb, FadyOilseed rape (Brassica napus), one of the most important sources of vegetable oil worldwide, is adversely impacted by heatwave-induced temperature stress especially during its yield-determining reproductive stages. However, the underlying molecular and biochemical mechanisms are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomic and metabolomic responses to heat stress in B. napus plants exposed to a gradual increase in temperature reaching 30°C in the day and 24°C at night for a period of 6 days. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to quantify the content of carbohydrates and glucosinolates, respectively. Results showed that heat stress reduced yield and altered oil composition. Heat stress also increased the content of carbohydrate (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) and aliphatic glucosinolates (gluconapin and progoitrin) in the leaves but decreased the content of the indolic glucosinolate (glucobrassicin). RNA-Seq analysis of flower buds showed a total of 1,892, 3,253, and 4,553 differentially expressed genes at 0, 1, and 2 days after treatment (DAT) and 4,165 and 1,713 at 1 and 7 days of recovery (DOR), respectively. Heat treatment resulted in downregulation of genes involved in respiratory metabolism, namely, glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, citrate cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation especially after 48 h of heat stress. Other downregulated genes mapped to sugar transporters, nitrogen transport and storage, cell wall modification, and methylation. In contrast, upregulated genes mapped to small heat shock proteins (sHSP20) and other heat shock factors that play important roles in thermotolerance. Furthermore, two genes were chosen from the pathways involved in the heat stress response to further examine their expression using real-time RT-qPCR. The global transcriptome profiling, integrated with the metabolic analysis in the study, shed the light on key genes and metabolic pathways impacted and responded to abiotic stresses exhibited as a result of exposure to heat waves during flowering. DEGs and metabolites identified through this study could serve as important biomarkers for breeding programs to select cultivars with stronger resistance to heat. In particular, these biomarkers can form targets for various crop breeding and improvement techniques such as marker-assisted selection.Item Open Access Will climate change affect growth and ochratoxin A production of putative biocontrol knockout strains of Aspergillus carbonarius?(Elsevier, 2025-08-02) Llobregat, Belén; Cervini, Carla; González-Candelas, Luis; Verheecke-Vaessen, Carol; Ballester, Ana-Rosa; Medina, AngelThe research explored the effects of abiotic factors associated with climate change (CC) on the growth and metabolite production of wild-type Aspergillus carbonarius ITEM 5010 and three knockout mutants: one knockout in the first gene of the ochratoxin A (OTA) biosynthesis pathway (ΔotaA) and two in the veA and laeA genes (the latter knockout generated in this work) encoding VELVET complex proteins, which regulate metabolism. Variables examined were temperature (30 °C vs 37 °C), water activity (0.98 vs 0.90), and CO₂ levels (400 ppm vs 1000 ppm). Growth, OTA production, and other metabolites were evaluated on grape-based medium. The results showed that abiotic factors significantly influenced fungal growth and mycotoxin production, with aw being the most critical parameter. At aw 0.90, no growth was observed. A temperature of 37 °C combined with 1000 ppm CO₂ resulted in higher OTA production, indicating a greater health risk in predicted CC scenarios. Mutants of global regulatory factors showed altered metabolite production, with elevated OTA levels at 37 °C. The ΔotaA knockout mutant consistently showed no OTA production, suggesting its viability as a biocontrol agent under CC conditions. However, while OTA increased, other secondary metabolites, such as pyranonigrin A and kojic acid, decreased with rising temperatures in all strains. The research highlights the influence of abiotic factors related to CC on A. carbonarius growth and metabolite production, underlining the threat of increased mycotoxin production. This reinforces the need for resilient biocontrol strategies. The ΔotaA mutant has been identified as a potential biocontrol agent, demonstrating resistance to future environmental stresses associated with CC.Item Open Access Nanomaterials as a new frontier platform: metal-doped and hybrid carbon dots as enzyme mimics for environmental applications(Frontiers, 2025-01-01) Yousaf, Aiman; Imran, Muhammad; Farooq Warsi, Muhammad; Alsafari, Ibrahim A.; Khan, Farhan A.; Parra-Saldívar, Roberto; Gutiérrez-Soto, Guadalupe; Iqbal, Hafiz M. N.Environmental pollution has become an inexorable problem for the planet Earth. The precise detection and degradation of heavy metals, pesticides, industrial-, pharmaceutical- and personal care- products is needed. Nanotechnology holds great promise in addressing global issues. Over the past decades, nanozymic nanomaterials have exceptionally overcome the intrinsic limitations of natural enzymes. Carbon dots (CDs) exhibit unique structures, surface properties, high catalytic activities, and low toxicity. Different techniques, such as doping or surface passivation, can enhance these exceptional properties. Doping modifies CDs’ electronic, magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties considerably. Metal doping, a more significant strategy, involves the introduction of metallic impurities, which offer insight into enhancing the physicochemical properties of CDs. Metal-doped CDs exhibit higher optical absorbance and catalytic performance than pristine CDs. The literature shows that researchers have utilized various synthetic approaches to fabricate CDs-Metal nanozymes. Researchers have reported the metal-doped and hybrid CDs’ peroxidase, catalase, laccase, and superoxide dismutase-like activities. These metal-doped nanozymes put forward substantial environmental remediations and applications such as sensing, photocatalytic degradation, adsorption, and removal of environmental contaminants. This review thoroughly discussed the metal-based functionalization of CDs, the enzyme-like properties, and the ecological applications of metal-doped and hybrid enzymes. The review also presents the current novelties, remaining challenges, and future directions with key examples.Item Open Access Sanitation infrastructure and faecal flow – SanIFFlow: a spatial mapping tool for integrated planning and management of sanitation in unsewered urban areas(Elsevier, 2025-07-01) Sultana, M. Sufia; Waine, Toby; Bari, Niamul; Tyrrel, SeanProper sanitation is vital for public health, particularly in urban areas. However, planning and managing sanitation systems in secondary cities within economically developing countries presents persistent challenges, largely due to a lack of spatial understanding and representation. To address these challenges, this study introduces SanIFFlow (Sanitation Infrastructure and Faecal Flow), a spatial analytical approach focused on a city-scale, ward-level model. SanIFFlow provides an actionable insights into infrastructural attributes and faecal flow dynamics, tailored to the practical governance capacities of the city's existing management framework. By leveraging open-source data on buildings, population, and drainage network, the method offers a detailed spatial representation of faecal matter sources and movement pathways within urban catchments. This approach enables strategic sanitation planning and proactive management, identifying high-risk areas and supporting targeted interventions, such as ward-level infrastructure upgrades. SanIFFlow represents a scalable, data-driven tool designed to enhance urban sanitation management in resource-constrained settings.Item Open Access A critical review of conventional and emerging technologies for the detection of contaminants, allergens and adulterants in plant-based milk alternatives(Elsevier, 2025) Karimi, Zahra; Campbell, Katrina; Kevei, Zoltan; Patriarca, Andrea; Koidis, Anastasios; Anastasiadi, MariaThe increasing popularity of plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) necessitates effective safety and authentication measures to ensure food product integrity and maintain consumer trust. This review aims to offer a comprehensive overview of potential contaminants, allergens, and adulterants in PBMAs, and the analytical methodologies employed for their detection and quantitation. It details the advantages and limitations of widely employed testing techniques, such as chromatography, spectroscopy, immunoassays and PCR. In addition, it explores recent advancements in portable detection methods based on novel technologies such as CRISPR and biosensor systems that offer new opportunities for rapid and precise analysis. Despite these technological innovations, important challenges remain, particularly in optimizing sample preparation protocols and improving DNA-based methods efficiency. The integration of multiple detection strategies and the development of rapid, cost-effective analytical tools are critical steps towards enhancing both industry compliance and consumer confidence. Furthermore, green analytical methods — such as solvent-free extraction, AI-driven spectroscopy, and sustainable sample preparation techniques — pave the way toward eco-friendly and more efficient PBMA safety testing.Item Open Access Environmental stewardship education in Tuvalu Part 2: insights into curriculum integration and classroom realities(MDPI, 2025-05-01) Tinilau, Soseala S.; Hemstock, Sarah L.; Mercer, Theresa G.; Hannaford, Matthew; Kythreotis, Andrew P.This commentary is the second in a two-part series on Environmental Stewardship Education (ESE) in Tuvalu. While Part 1 examined the alignment between education and environmental policies, this follow-up focuses on how those policies are—or are not—translated into formal curriculum and classroom practice. Drawing on both academic research and professional experience in government, this article explores the gap in curriculum design, student engagement, and teaching strategies. It argues for the early integration of ESE in primary education, greater inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge, and participatory teaching approaches. These insights are grounded in Tuvalu’s context but offer valuable lessons for other small island developing states striving to align sustainability policy with educational delivery.Item Open Access Nature-based stormwater management for aquifer recharge: exploring bioclogging-induced challenges(Elsevier, 2025-08-01) Wu, Yuhui; Lu, Ying; Yan, Zihan; Shi, Min; Wang, Qiandan; Lyu, Tao; Jia, Ruoyu; Huang, Ling; Chen, Zhiliang; Chen, Jianyu; Song, Xiaoming; Yang, YuesuoUtilising excess urban stormwater to recharge groundwater can effectively mitigate the problems caused by the over-exploitation of subsurface environments while simultaneously making full use of valuable water resources. However, bioclogging can significantly reduce the efficiency of recharge projects in practical applications. This study is distinguished by its comprehensive consideration of unsaturated hydraulic conditions during stormwater recharge, which can influence microbial activities and the evolution of bioclogging, setting it apart from the predominant focus on saturated conditions in previous research. Microbial activity in the media became more vigorous under unsaturated conditions, and the cell volume decreased to 33–50 % of that under saturated conditions. Under unsaturated conditions, microbial EPS exhibited a curled morphology. At 60 % saturation, the contents of LB-EPS and polysaccharides increased by 141.23 and 187.47 μg/g sand, respectively, compared to saturated conditions. The reduction in saturation weakened microbial migration, promoted their deposition on the media surfaces, and reduced the non-uniformity of interlayer distribution. Simultaneously, unsaturated seepage conditions attenuated the effect of flow velocity (0.5–2 mL/min) changes on microbial migration and deposition. Bioclogging under unsaturated seepage conditions was governed by both EPS action and the EPS-bacterial interaction, with EPS secretion significantly influencing the degree of internal bioclogging development. This work contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the bioclogging mechanisms under the unique hydrodynamic conditions of stormwater recharge, enabling more precise prevention and control of bioclogging during artificial stormwater recharge.Item Open Access Optimizing the temperature sensitivity of the isoprene emission model MEGAN in different ecosystems using a Metropolis‐Hastings Markov Chain Monte Carlo method(American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2025-05-01) DiMaria, Christian A.; Jones, Dylan B. A.; Ferracci, Valerio; Bloom, A. Anthony; Worden, Helen M.; Seco, Roger; Vettikkat, Lejish; Yáñez Serrano, Ana Maria; Guenther, Alex B.; Araujo, A.; Goldstein, Allen H.; Langford, Ben; Cash, James; Harris, Neil R. P.; Brown, Luke; Rinnan, Riikka; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Holst, Thomas; Mak, John E.Isoprene is a reactive hydrocarbon emitted to the atmosphere in large quantities by terrestrial vegetation. Annual total isoprene emissions exceed 300 Tg a−1, but emission rates vary widely among plant species and are sensitive to meteorological and environmental conditions including temperature, sunlight, and soil moisture. Due to its high reactivity, isoprene has a large impact on air quality and climate pollutants such as ozone and aerosols. It is also an important sink for the hydroxyl radical which impacts the lifetime of the important greenhouse gas methane along with many other trace gas species. Modeling the impacts of isoprene emissions on atmospheric chemistry and climate requires accurate isoprene emission estimates. These can be obtained using the empirical Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN), but the parameterization of this model is uncertain due in part to limited field observations. In this study, we use ground‐based measurements of isoprene concentrations and fluxes from 11 field sites to assess the variability of the isoprene emission temperature response across ecosystems. We then use these observations in a Metropolis‐Hastings Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MHMCMC) data assimilation framework to optimize the MEGAN temperature response function. We find that the performance of MEGAN can be significantly improved at several high‐latitude field sites by increasing the modeled sensitivity of isoprene emissions to past temperatures. At some sites, the optimized model was nearly four times more sensitive to temperature than the unoptimized model. This has implications for air quality modeling in a warming climate.Item Open Access Understanding the risk of enhanced particle penetration into slow sand filter beds when using underwater skimming techniques(Elsevier, 2025-06-01) Elemo, Tolulope; Chipps, Michael; Graham, Nigel; Turner, Andrew; Jefferson, Bruce; Hassard, FrancisThis study evaluated abiotic slow sand filters (SSFs) to understand the risk of particle penetration during underwater skimming (UWS), focusing on clogging, headloss development, and particle breakthrough. Pilot-scale filters containing clean sand were challenged with dispersed kaolin particles to simulate surface accumulation, and the sand surface was agitated to mimic UWS procedures. The study was undertaken with no maturation period to consider the worst-case scenario corresponding to the period just after filter skimming. Agitating the surface and restarting flow released captured particles, some moving downward through the filter. Shallow filter depths resulted in particles appearing in the filtrate, but increasing the media depth beyond 500 mm minimized this effect. Since 90 % of headloss occurred in the upper layers, deeper particle penetration was insignificant. Increasing the hydraulic loading rate from 0.3 to 0.5 m/h reduced particle retention by 0.72 log, yet all abiotic SSFs achieved over 2 log particle capture. Small particles (2–10 μm) were removed by 2 logs, indicating sufficient non-viral pathogen retention under routine conditions. Effective capture of particles sized 2–125 μm suggested minimal risk to water quality and public health during UWS on full-scale SSFs. Using clean sand and kaolin represented a worst-case scenario, excluding biological maturation and particles. The findings suggest that under normal conditions, UWS does not increase deep particle penetration or breakthrough, supporting its safe implementation to enhance filter maintenance without compromising water quality.Item Open Access Evaluating the potential of oxygen isoscapes for tropical timber tracing(Elsevier, 2025-08-15) Vlam, Mart; Boeschoten, Laura; van der Sleen, Peter; Adzkia, Ulfa; Boom, Arnoud; Bouka, Gaël U. D.; Ciliane-Madikou, Jannici C. U.; Kuzee, Tijs; Obiang, Nestor Laurier Engone; Guieshon-Engongoro, Mesly; Loumeto, Joël J.; Mbika, Dieu-merci M. F.; Moundounga, Cynel G.; Ndangani, Rita M. D.; Bourobou, Dyana Ndiade; Paredes-Villanueva, Kathelyn; Rahman, Mohamad M.; Meyer-Sand, Barbara Rocha Venâncio; Siregar, Iskandar Z.; Tassiamba, Steve N.; Tchamba, Martin T.; Toumba-Paka, Bijoux B. L.; Zanguim, Herman T.; Zemtsa, Pascaline T.; Zuidema, Pieter A.Independent verification of timber origin is needed to enforce legislation aimed at combatting illegal tropical timber trade. A potential technique is tracing back the stable isotope signal preserved in wood samples, but the scarcity of reference data currently hampers its operationalization. This can be overcome by creating isoscapes. Here we develop continental isoscapes (at 0.5° resolution) for five tropical timbers based on wood δ18O ratios and assess their potential for timber tracing. We compiled a pantropical database of δ18O measurements from 712 trees in 20 countries. We tested effects of δ18O in rainfall, potential evapotranspiration (PET), temperature and precipitation on wood δ18O and used these to develop isoscapes based on quantile regression forests. A first indication of the tracing potential of these isoscapes was tested in leave one out cross validation (LOOCV) analyses. Across the five isoscapes, ranges in wood δ18O values (10th-90th percentile) averaged 3.9 ‰ and δ18O differences increased with distance. Yet local variability in wood δ18O was substantial compared to large-scale variability. The LOOCV analysis showed that the actual origin was included in the probable origin for 59–79 % of the cases. The area of probable origin was large, however, suggesting a low spatial precision of assignment. This study finds limited support for a potential to use wood oxygen isoscapes for tropical timber tracing within continents. Necessary future steps in timber isotope tracing include improving regional representation, conducting similar analyses for other isotopes, rigorous testing of species differences and conducting blind sample tests.Item Open Access Technoeconomics of sugar cane bagasse valorization to lactic acid using pinch technology: distillation vs reactive distillation(American Chemical Society (ACS), 2025-05-12) Maity, Sunil K.; Agrawal, Deepti; Gadkari, Siddharth; Vanapalli, Kumar Raja; Yong, Yang-Chun; Zhu, Daochen; Chen, Chang; Kumar, VinodSugar cane is one of the largest agricultural crops, and sugar cane bagasse (SCB), a major waste from sugar cane processing, is an abundant and inexpensive source of fermentable sugars for producing diverse platform chemicals. The present study evaluates the technoeconomic viability of L (+) lactic acid (LA) production from SCB with different stand-alone process scenarios modeled using the pinch method. It critically evaluates various cost-contributing factors when a sugar-rich hydrolysate is obtained via two different pretreatment methods: dilute acid and alkali. The cost-benefit of LA purification by conventional distillation (CD) is further compared to reactive distillation (RD). The pinch method cuts the LA manufacturing costs by 10-11%. Alkali pretreatment combined with RD involves a lower capital investment and utility consumption than the CD counterpart and slightly less LA manufacturing cost. However, LA production via dilute acid pretreatment and purification by RD emerges as the most profitable scenario due to capital investment, utility demand, and chemical consumption savings. This scenario offers the minimum LA selling price of 2.3 US$/kg for an 8.5% discount factor and a 5 year payback period. However, for a 20 year plant life and 2.5 US$/kg factory-gate LA selling price, the internal rate of return was 31% and the payback period was 4.4 years for an 8.5% discount factor.Item Open Access Unlocking the agro-physiological potential of wheat rhizoplane fungi under low P conditions using a niche-conserved consortium approach(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2025-05-01) Benbrik, Brahim; Reid, Tessa E.; Nkir, Dounia; Chaouki, Hicham; Aallam, Yassine; Clark, Ian M.; Mauchline, Tim H.; Harris, Jim A.; Pawlett, Mark; Barakat, Abdellatif; Rchiad, Zineb; Bargaz, AdnanePlant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) hold promise for enhancing crop yield. This study delves into the fungal diversity of the wheat rhizoplane across seven Moroccan agricultural regions, employing a niche-conserved strategy to construct fungal consortia (FC) exhibiting higher phosphorus (P) acquisition and plant growth promotion. This study combined culture-independent and culture-dependent methods exploring taxonomic and functional diversity in the rhizoplane of wheat plants obtained from 28 zones. Twenty fungal species from eight genera were isolated and confirmed through internal transcribed spacer (ITS) Sanger sequencing. P solubilization (PS) capacity was assessed for individual species, with Talaromyces sp. (F11) and Rhizopus arrhizus CMRC 585 (F12) exhibiting notable PS rates, potentially due to production of organic acids such as gluconic acid. PGPF traits and antagonism activities were considered when constructing 28 niche-conserved FC (using isolates from the same zone), seven intra-region FC (different zones within a region), and one inter-region FC. Under low P conditions, in planta inoculation with niche-conserved FC (notably FC14 and FC17) enhanced growth, physiological parameters, and P uptake of wheat, in both vegetative and reproductive stages. FC14 and FC17, composed of potent fungi such as F11 and F12, demonstrated superior plant growth benefits compared with intra- and inter-region constructed FC. Our study underscores the efficacy of the niche-conserved strategy in designing synthetic fungal community from isolates within the same niche, proving significant agro-physiological potential to enhance P uptake and plant growth of wheat.Item Open Access Algae bioremediation of swine and domestic wastewater promotes a reduction of coliforms and antibiotic-resistant bacteria(Elsevier, 2025-06-15) López-Pacheco, Itzel Y.; González-Meza, Georgia María; González-González, Reyna Berenice; Parra-Saldívar, Roberto; Melchor-Martínez, Elda MThe microbiological load that wastewater may contain is an important factor to consider in wastewater treatment to avoid water bodies contamination and has taken on great relevance due to the possible presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study investigates the feasibility of bacteria control by phycoremediation treatment using Scenedesmus sp. in two types of wastewater (domestic and swine wastewater). It was determined the cell growth of microalgae culture, and the reduction of total coliforms and enterobacteria load throughout ten days of experiment. In addition, the removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was performed using five different antibiotics commonly used in clinical diagnosis: Ampicillin Tetracycline, Ciprofloxacin, Sulfamethoxazole, and Ceftriaxone. The results shown a significant decrease in total coliforms and enterobacteria in the phycoremediation process, it was removed up to 98 % of total coliforms [ from (8.7 ± 2.31) × 10^4 to (1.6 ± 0.17) × 10^3 CFU mL^−1] in swine wastewater and 99 % in domestic wastewater [(3.6 ± 0.31) × 10^5 to (2 ± 0.05) × 10^3 CFU mL^−1]. Significant reduction in the case of sulfamethoxazole-resistant bacteria by microalgae in swine wastewater from [(1.47 ± 0.05) × 105 to (5.3 ± 0.57) × 10^3 ] and domestic wastewater [(4.9 ± 0.15) × 10^4 to (2.9 ± 0.36) × 10^3]. These findings demonstrate the versatility and effectiveness of the phycoremediation system since the general microbial control to most specific of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater, demonstrating its great potential to reduce the risk of public health issues in urban and rural areas.
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